Toiletry products cases



June 7, 1966 D. E. EVERBURG 3,254,688

TOILETRY PRODUCTS CASES Filed June 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. DONALD E. EVERBURG ATTORNEY June 7, 1966 I DQE. EVERBURG 3,254,683

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United States Patent 3,254,688 TOILETRY PRODUCTS CASES Donald E. Everburg, Southbridge, Mass., assignor to American Optical Company, Southbridge, Mass., a voluntary association of Massachusetts Filed June 30, 1964, Ser. No. 379,197 1 Claim. (Cl. 150-29) This invention relates to containers, generally, and more particularly to a case for carrying such articles as toiletry products.

Toiletry articles are sometimes liquid-containing and require a substantially liquid-holding closure mechanism.

Such liquid-holding mechanisms are useful, not only in keeping liquid in, in order to make the container satisfactory for travelling purposes, wherein the container is packed along with perishable clothing, but it is also useful for keeping water out in order to preserve such delicate devices as shaving razors or the like from moisture as might be found in bathrooms or shower rooms.

At the present time, a Wide variety of containers are available for such articles as toiletry products, wherein a rather rigid bottom is provided with a flexible body portion rising therefrom and some type of closure mechanism is formed in combination with the flexible body. This closure portion is usually either a zippered closure or of the type normally found in use with womens handbags. A zippered closure is not liquid-tight and is susceptible to breakage and in the womens handbag arrangement, metal frames are sewn into the body portion to provide a material-to-material contact in the closure portion with a metal .clasp securing the closure. Since the material is usually an easily damaged fabric or wearable plastic, such closure mechanisms would fray the material quite easily, thereby making it unacceptable aesthetically for further use. Also, such closure mechanisms with material-to-material arrangements are usually not liquid-tight and thereby unacceptable for use as toiletry products cases.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a toiletry products case with a material-tomaterial closure, which is liquid-tight and non-susceptible to wearing or fraying.

A further object is to provide a toiletry'products case which avoids the use of a metal clasp or zipper.

A further more specific object is to provide a toiletry products case formed generally of vinyl with a nylon and rubber clasp for holding the closure mechanism in a closed position, to better accomplish the liquid-holding function.

These and other objects are accomplished in one preferred embodiment of the invention which features a toiletry products case having a body portion, the bottom of which is reinforced by a sealed-in fiber plate, and the opening' of which is formed by first and second U-shaped frame members, whose open sides face inwardly when the case is in its open position. The frame members are rotatably joined at their ends and are U-shaped in cross-section, with the opening of the cross-section facing outwardly when the case is in its open position. The U-shaped cross-section is adapted to receive a first set of protruding lips from the body portion, which also has a second set of lips in mating relationship when the case is in its closed position. A closure device is also provided wherein a flexible member is used to hold together two rigid closure members that are attached to the frame and body portion of the case. In this way, the mating relationship of the aforementioned second lips is maintained and the liquid-holding function is facilitated.

Other objects, features and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated and all will be apparent from the following more detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the toiletry products case in its open position according to the present invention, including a partial section;

FIG. 1A is a perspective of the case of FIG. 1 shown in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a partial section view of a portion of the case of FIG. 1 showing the combination of frame and first lips according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a full section through plane 33 of the case of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a representation of a mating relationship of the second lips of the body portion;

FIG. 4A is a representation of an alternate embodiment of the invention showing another mating relationship between the second lips of the body portion;

FIG. 5 is a top view representation of the flexible closure member and its fixed relationship with one of the rigid closure members;

FIG 5A is a side view representation of the .closure members of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a top plan representation of the other rigid closure member; and,

FIG. 6A is-a side view representation of the closure member of FIG. 6.

lips 22 and a sealed-in fiber plate 24 to reinforce the bottom.

The rivets 16 and 18 facilitate the rotation of frame members 12 and 14 in directions 26 and 28 respectively, and extending lips 22 meet when the frame members are rotated into parallel vertical planes 30 and 51. Frame members 12 and 14 are exposed radially to the case,

but are prevented from meeting by lips 22 when the case is in its closed position, which position is exhibited in FIG. 1A, where the case is shown with a handle 52.

The features which enable the accomplishment of the objects hereinbefore stated are best shown by the detailed views 2 through 6A, the descriptions of which follow. The reception of first lip 20 within the channel-shaped frame 12 is clearly shown in FIG. 2. Second lip 22 is also shown in that figure as extending beyond the frame member 12 in order to prevent its contact with the other frame member 14 when the case is in the closed position of FIG. 1A. FIG. 3 is a full section view along plane3-3 of FIG. 1, which shows the body portion 10 and inserted first lips 20 as well as the extending second lips 22. That figure also shows frame members 14 and 12 and their rotatable connection by rivet 16, as well as the closure mechanism, which comprises flexible and preferably resilient member 32, first rigid member 34, and second rigid member 36. The first rigid member 34 of the closure device is fixed to frame 12 through the body 10 and holds one end of the flexible closure tab 32. The other rigid member 36 of the closure device is fixed to frame 14 through the body portion 10 and is adapted to receive the flexible tab 32, when the frame members are rotated to vertical abutting relationship thereby closing the case, as shown in FIG. 1 and as will be shown more specifically in FIGS. 5, 5A, 6, and 6A.

In order to form a substantially liquid-holding seal for Patented June 7, 1966 I a the case, it is advantageous to slush-mold or otherwise form the body 10 of an impervious, elastically compressible plastic such as vinyl, which has the necessary properties to form such a seal according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows the frame members 12 and 14 rotated to parallel vertical planes 3t} and 51 to thereby close the case. It may be seen that second lips 22 of the body portion 10 accordingly form a Vinyl-to-vinyl seal, which is substantially liquid-holding. It may also be seen that frame members Hand 14 do not touch except at their rotatable joint 16. By such an arrangement, wearing and other life-shortening processes are considerably reduced to provide a more desirable overall design for the consumer. An alternate vinyl-to-vinyl seal is shown in FIG. 4A with the second lips 22' of the body 10' in a mating relationship other than that shown in FIG. 4. The relationships between first lips 20 and the frame members 12 and 14' are exactly the same as was shown for corresponding parts in FIG. 4.

The closure mechanism is shown in more detail in FIG. with migid member 34 having a tab-receiving cavity 38, wherein the flexible tab 32 is inserted. The flexible tab may be designed to comprise a thumb-receiving groove 40'f0r facilitating the handling of the closure mechanism, and rounds 46 of the flexible part can be braced by shoulders 48 in the part 36 to hold the tab in closing position. A side view of the tab 32 and first rigid closure member 34- is shown in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 shows the second rigid closure member 36 with tab-receiving groove 44' and metal inserts 42, which are used to fix the rigid members 34 and 36 to the frame, when the closure mechanism and case are fabricated. A side view of the second rigid member 36 is shown in FIG. 6A and with these figures, it is clear as to how the closure mechanism is operated to form a closure such as that shown in FIG. 1A. When the first rigid member is secured by metal insert 42 to the frame member 12, with tab 32 inserted therein, and the second rigid member is secured to frame 14 through the case by metal inserts 42, the tab can stretch across the previously-described vinyl-to-vinyl' seal in order to hold the body portions 10 in mating relationship. The tab can be formed of a rubber-like material and the rigid members 34 and 36 may be conveniently formed of nylon or another durable plastic.

While a preferred embodiment, features, and modifications have been shown and described, they are illustrative only and the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereby, but is to be accorded the full scope of the following claim.

What I claim is:

A container comprising in combination:

first and second U-shaped frame members with their open sides facing inwardly and being rotably joined at their ends, said members being U-shaped in crosssection to form outwardly facing channels;

a flexible body with inwardiy facing first lips received within said channels and mating second lips for forming a closure when said first and second frame members are rotated to parallel vertical planes; and

a closure device including a first closure member having tab-holding shoulders secured to said first frame member through said body, a second closure member secured to said second frame member through said body, and a flexible tab fastened to said second closure member and comprised of rounds attachable to said first closure member with said rounds braced by said tab-holding shoulders for holding said second lips in mating relationship.

References Cited by the Examiner UNIT ED STATES PATENTS 845,145 2/1907 Teese 19049 1,356,800 10/1920 Vilandrer 24--201 1,430,768 10/1922 Tannenbaum 19049 2,001,307 5/1935 Hiering 29 2,078,995 5/1937 Bates 150--29 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner J. F. MCNULTY, D. F. NORTON, Assistant Examiners. 

